Design Force, Inc., proudly announces that The Toy Book has published its president, Ted Mininni’s thought-provoking, new article in the September/October 2019 issue’s Outside the Box column. The piece, titled: Building Brands Around Licensed Experiences discusses ways to bridge the gap between marketers trying to sell branded products to consumers who are now collecting branded experiences rather than material possessions.
As the article begins, Mr. Mininni states: ”Theres been a paradigm shift in the licensing world mirroring the fundamental transformation of consumers. It isn’t sufficient for licensors and their partners to co-brand consumer products across numerous categories and hope to collect significant revenue – all while trying to keep their properties relevant and evergreen.
Mininni continues: “Nothing brings brands to life more compellingly than strong content that evolves and keeps them fresh, current, and interesting. With all of the social media platforms at their disposal, the smallest properties – the tiniest upstarts – can gain audiences that literally explode into popularity almost overnight thanks to word of mouth. There are a number of properties that have achieved this by maximizing digital media…”
The article cites examples of brands that create compelling experiences for their fans. Mr. Mininni: ”Hello Kitty initiated pop-up cafes and cafe food trucks to take its beloved property directly to the fans in a memorable manner. National Geographic, in collaboration with 21st Century Fox, created National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey in New York City’s Times Square, an immersive experience in which visitors find themselves at the bottom of the South Pacific. The exhibit will periodically change so that guests can explore other worlds.